Black Chrysanthemum
by Shukaku's Host
Summary: A young mysterious girl shows up in Gaara-kun's life. How will he take it, and what's her strange power?
1. Black Chrysanthemum

I don't understand why we have to do this, but...**I don't own Naruto...or Gaara unfortunately**. Summary of chapter, let's see...um, there's a character called Yao Ju, and she meets Gaara...that's it in this one. It takes place when Gaara is six, before Yashamaru's betrayal. The ~sSs~ mark where flashbacks begin and end.

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Ju's POV

I have no bloodline limit, nor have I the power of a Jinchuuriki. I am unsure what I am, or who. All I know is that I am different. It is unknown to anyone but me what is wrong, and it is unknown to anyone at all the solution. My only thoughts are that I cannot stay here. Not where I live hidden in darkness, always waiting only for a mission. I am no longer a slave to Toshihiro.

My name is Ju. I come from the small village of Mirigakure. It has always been over shadowed by Konoha. As far as I know, my mother died in birth, leaving me to my ruthless father, Yoshihisa. I walked among the soft dunes of the desert, remembering the terrible act I committed only two short days ago. I remember every murder I ever committed, and this memory would be stronger than any other.

~sSs~

__

I looked up at the nonexistent stars, as I thought about what I had heard this day. I was soon to be sent on another mission. Toshihiro-sama wanted me to practice my skills on a thief of some kind. More times than not, these petty criminals glorified their power. They thought often times that our village was underestimating them, for sending a small girl after them. It was they who underestimated me.

Tearing my eyes from the free stars and looking front of me, I saw the slightest of movements. There was a man, lurking in the shadows. He was getting closer…A silver kunai flashed past, inches from my right eye, but his mistake was not only in missing me, but in giving away his exact location. In a flash, I was gone, from his sight that is. No ninja, especially from my little village would defeat me. They are too weak.

I watched him keenly, as he searched frantically for my finding place. What an amateur he turned out to be. He clearly didn't understand who I was. No one ever did until they were on the brink of death.

"Show yourself," I whispered in his ear, after jumping from the tree above him. "Those were the words you were going to say, were they not?" He spun in hopes of grabbing me, holding me down with sheer brute strength. Expecting this, I leapt away, quicker than humanly possible…and thrust a kunai straight into his back. I wasn't sure if it was deep enough to pierce the heart, but it was close enough. He would die soon. It might take ten minutes, or two. With two minutes in mind, I wrenched it out in an unclean manner. When I did so, blood, his blood, was splattered in all directions.

~sSs~

As I shuffled along, following the ripples of the desert sand, I thought of something. It was hard for me to believe, but I know he said this before he died. "Go back Suna...where you belong…_thorn_." I did not know why, but I thought I ought to go. It made little sense to me why I should be born in Suna and raised in Miri, but it happens. I wondered if it was worth it, going to Suna.

~sSs~

_"Quite a quick young lady, aren't you?" the man teased without a hint of humor. There was an obvious struggle in speaking. Dashing in front of him, I could see only his eyes, as the rest was covered in a black mask. "If you're so quick, why not hurry it up on leaving my village? It was so nice and peaceful before you came and brainwashed my lord. Now all he care's about is conquering the world."_

_"This is not my fault or his." He cackled a terrible sound. And I recognized it. "You…" I realized who the man was, and didn't want to believe it was true. He has hated me for three years. That is half of my life. He could not be thinking to kill me now, not after all that time._

~sSs~

The walls surrounding Suna grew closer. I went through all I knew of the village and its people in my mind. I wondered how badly I would stick out in my black apparel. When I reached the walls, I walked around until I _found_, shall we say, an opening without guards. I stepped lightly through tunnel I had found, cool from being shaded from the desert sun. The entry I went into was next to the park. I saw kids playing kickball there, just like the children in Miri. Then, I saw the kid on the swing, alone, like me, and I wondered if he knew why he was left alone. I didn't, because I was never told…or rather I was not told why I must live that way. Standing close the side of the fissure I was in, I was just out of sight of the children playing ball, but not of the red-haired boy. When he looked up, I knew he had seen me come in. However, when he looked up, I also saw the death of that man.

~sSs~

_"You finally realize who I am. Who else within your own village would have a grudge against you? You aren't spoken to, or mentioned. You hardly exist here to anyone, except me." I didn't understand what I did to hurt him. He was quite fond of me until…he went to Suna. That was it. That is what caused his hatred to stir, but why?_

_"I know what you are, and when I went to Suna, they told me everything." Who was this, they, he spoke of? "You shouldn't be alive, thorn."_

_"Thorn?" Though I was called many names, I was never called thorn._

_"You always wanted answers. If you want to answer the questions, which I know are going through your head, leave and go search elsewhere," he whispered now. What was said was barely audible, but I heard and stepped back. I don't belong in the place that caused my closest person to hate and despise me._

~sSs~

His hair reminded me of the blood that was splattered across the man's face. His teal eyes looked like the younger, softer version of the cold, lifeless eyes that glared at me past death. The black around the teal spheres were only too similar to the black mask Yoshihisa wore on his last day.

I watched as the kids play, waiting for a good moment to appear. Light clouds of sand were kicked up on every pass of the faded ball.

xXx*xXx

After a few minutes, the ball was kicked out of bounds. It soared high in an arch, and landed directly in the red-haired boys arms. It was lucky he was watching, because it would have otherwise hit him in the face.

A few moments of silence passed, before he stood and offer the ball back. "Here," he said, but the other kids were unwilling to listen. I heard the common stutters and stammers that followed people running in fear. Among the many screams and faltering voices, I heard that this boy was Gaara of the Sand. He was much less threatening than I imagined. I thought he might at least look less sad and depressed, one of those people that could silence you with a glare.

When all of the children had left, I felt it was safe to come out of the tunnel. I walked slowly to him, because I was not about to frighten him. I gradually made my way to the small swing set.

"Gaara-san...My name is Yao Ju." He did not respond right away. Eventually, he looked up from the swing he was sitting on, still clutching the teddy bear in his arms.

"Why are you here?" I was unsure if he sounded like he wanted me to go, or he was trying to sound like that, while wanting me to stay.

I responded, "I need to understand something, and I think only you and those closest to the Kazekage know." A slight breeze passed between us, and small streams of sand were pushed in spirals on the ground.

"What is it?" I knew he would ask me that. However, I was prepared to tell him the truth, though I doubted he would know for sure.

"When I was younger, my father went on a mission to Suna. He said it was to do with Shukaku and its host. When he came back, he became cold towards me. I want to know how Suna made my father despise me. You may not know, because you would've been two or three at the time. But _I_ need to know...and I intend to find out."

"What was his name, your father?"

"Yao Yoshihisa."

"Oh…I'm sorry, but I don't know that name. Toshihiro was the last person I remember from Miri," Gaara-san said. I forced myself not to look surprised. Toshihiro? Here? I tried to think, but my thoughts of trying to understand what he would be doing here were interrupted by a shout.

"Stop! Stop, get away! He's only acting this way to keep you there, then he'll catch you off guard and – "

"Silence yourself. Do you really think he attacks as often as you claim, or perhaps for the reasons you believe? It is wrong to make such assumptions as those." The others had already left. This child was the only one left. Perhaps he saw me come out of the crevice, and stopped to see who I was. That must be it.

"If you can stand there and not be killed, then you must be as much of a monster as him." Once he had said that, he ran quicker than I thought possible for his shortness. When I turned back to face Gaara, he was silent.

"Why did you stand up for me? Don't you know what I am, what I do? I attack people. I make them hurt. I'm…a monster." At that point, he looked down again, squishing the bear in his arms.

"You are not."

"You don't know me. You just came here today. How would you know anything about me? I know it's true what they say, and I can't change it." His gaze still lingered on the sandy ground.

"Are you certain? There is nothing you can do about it? I think you have more control than you care to admit. Why do the children run? Answer that." Gaara stood up, though he seemed not much taller than when he was on the swing. He looked me in the eye and glared, as if to say he did not have to answer that. The swing chains clinks as he got off.

"They run because I am the Sand's Ultimate Weapon, even if I don't want to be. Everybody fears and hates me for it. They don't accept me even when I try to be nice. You think that, too, don't you?" he asked.

"If I hated you, would I have traveled here from Miri to talk to you? If I feared you, do you not think I would have left with the others, after hearing what they said? I promise, Gaara-san, I will never run like them. I know that I am different. I think you understand that by now."

"How are you different? What makes you different?" he demanded, though his voice was far from demanding.

"The same thing as you, power. As I remember it, you said that you were the Sand's Ultimate Weapon. I never had a title like that, but in Miri and other small villages, the ones that went unnoticed, I was known as Toshihiro the Sage's personal assassin. He is still in Miri, probably writing another scroll to send to me. It will say who I need to kill for him next. I always followed orders from him. Let me ask you this. Does the Kazekage make you kill strangers?" For that, he had no answer.

"You said you wanted to know why Suna made your father, Yoshihisa, hate you. Why not ask him yourself?"

"Because he's dead. His last words to me before passing were 'go back to Suna where you belong.' He was right about me belonging here..." I had no true need to tell Gaara-san that I was the reason he died.

"How is that?"

I looked into Gaara-san's pale teal eyes, and said, "I met you. You're the equal of my father. Your eyes are the same color. Your hair is the same style. You speak the same way he used to have conversations like this with me. It is as if you have the kinder side of him in you, the side my father lost. You're…him."

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Yep...that's the first chapter.


	2. Monster

Nothing to say other than it's the second chapter, I guess.

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Gaara's POV

"Did–did you just say I was your – I mean you don't mean – " I stuttered. _What?_

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Gaara-san? I and the people of Miri believe that our dead continue life in the living. They think that we do not start a completely new life, but live on in one already born. I mean only that my father's spirit has now settled in you. I now know that it was the right choice to come to Suna, respecting the final request of Yoshihisa." That made more sense, though I didn't fully believe in reincarnation. I smiled at her. She was sane after all.

It seemed there was a smile tugging on the edges of her lips, but she didn't grin back…actually, she frowned. Ju turned away from me and began to walk away. On her left step, it looked as if she was trying to hide a limp. She was headed towards the crevice that I had seen her come through. Had I upset her by smiling? Was she angry now?

"Where're you going?" I asked, when she was halfway to the tunnel. She stopped.

"I am not going anywhere away from Suna. I only wait for my next affray to begin." Once her sentence had ended, many ninjas began to run from the small crack in the wall. Were all of these people trying to harm her? I wouldn't let it happen. This girl was not threatening me, even though she told me she was an assassin. My father taught me many powerful jutsus. I always trained to perfect my maneuvering of the sand. I would put it to the test now.

I waited for them to become confident that they could get to her, then, all at the same time, I had the sand grab and pull on the men. They were all dragged beneath the scorching desert sand, where I crushed the life out of each one. They wouldn't harm this girl, the only one that promised never to run.

She returned her gaze to me, and I saw what seemed to be annoyance in her black eyes. It reminded me of Temari, when she got really angry at Kankuro.

"Why did you do that? I could have just as easily defeated them," she said sternly. She muttered something else that I couldn't hear. I didn't answer.

"Why?" Ju asked. A trace of annoyance still in her voice. Maybe I should've let her handle it like she said she could. "Do you think I am not powerful enough?"

"Is this what friends do? Help them when them are in trouble?" This time, it was Ju's turn not to answer.

She walked over, and the limp was less hidden, but it didn't seem like she wanted me to bother with it. Ju leaned on one of the wooden posts of the old swing set, and we talked. She didn't look excited when we were talking about jutsus or other topics, but I heard it in her voice that she was pleased.

xXx*xXx

A few days after met Ju-chan, I, after she left the park, wondered something. _Where did she stay at night? Did Ju-chan come with another family member? _After sunset came close, she always said she had to leave. I noticed that she always went towards the same tunnel that was her entrance to Suna before, but somehow the crack was filled in. When she left, she would start walking toward where the crack used to be, then disappear.

At first, I thought that there was a rock or something else in front of a different hole, but there wasn't. Everyday, I would try to follow, with my eyes, but she always vanished. This time, I was going to see if I found her from the top of Suna's wall. Maybe she stayed somewhere outside Suna, but close.

I lifted a layer of sand, and "floated" over the wall. I saw the speck of black that was her. I was too far away to see anything clearly, but when I tried looking closer, I saw a small brown bubble. Ju-chan when into it, or the bubble went over her.

I let my sand carry me close to the spot. The brown bubble was made of sand. It looked like my shield did whenever it came up. Was she trapped? I wondered if I could use my powers to open it. I was about to break the bubble, when I heard her voice.

"Did you follow me here, Monster?" I froze. I thought she was my friend…but then she called me monster. I clutched my teddy bear tightly. Who else was there out here? Night was coming, and everyone went inside to keep warm when the sun went down. It could only be me she was talking to.

"With your powers, I suppose it wouldn't have been difficult…but you should not be here. Did you see anyone else on your way here? Perhaps it would be best if you went back to the village." She stopped between each sentence, like she was expecting me to answer. I couldn't talk. I was in shock, so she continued.

"They're still hunting me, you know. They might be following you, Monster. They know I associated with you." I didn't stay to here the rest, but I ran away from her. The brown bubble grew farther and farther away. I lifted myself with the sand, and was about to go to the other side of the wall, when I heard her scream. It wasn't really loud and high like I heard other girls scream when they were playing ball, but it was still a scream.

I looked back and saw the broken bubble. Around it, was a large group of ninjas. Some were from the same villages as before. I could tell from the color of their clothes. There were more than before, and I stopped and wondered if I should help. Ju-chan didn't like me anymore. She called me a monster. I wasn't sure what to do, so I watched.

She bent down, and ran right through the men. I saw the black speck running in a zigzag, dodging something I couldn't see. She seemed faster than anyone I'd ever seen. I thought it must be that she was trained taijutsu by her sensei. She got closer and closer the wall, then I could only see the top of Ju-chan's head. She spun in a circle, and something shot towards the ninjas, in the shape of a crescent, that I could only explain as solid air, or ice from nothing.

Ju-chan hit most of the men, but when she stopped, she was hit by the something I couldn't see. Ju-chan fell, and a cloud of sand rose around her. Steam or smoke came up from somewhere between her right elbow and wrist. The ones she had hit started to stand up and were coming forward. I was hurt that she thought I was a monster, but I didn't want her to die, either, so I decided to help. Just before I did though, Ju-chan stood, and something white started forming around her. I wasn't a sensory type, but I knew it was something powerful._ What's happening? _I thought worriedly. It was like a mist surrounding her. My bear hung loosely at my side, as I stood on top of the wall.

xXx*xXx

She raised both arms up, and the mist formed a ball in her hands. It glowed with a light that seemed as bright as a small sun, before being thrown in the center of the group of ninjas. It was a technique I hadn't seen before. I saw it happen in slow motion: the ball of light gliding through the many men, the ripple of the sand just before the explosion, the black shadows of the ninjas in front of the light slowly disappearing in white. It was a silent sound wave. Heat rushed to the peak of the wall I was on, and it felt like the middle of the afternoon. I didn't think anyone could survive it, so what happened to Ju-chan? The heat vanished almost right away, and, when it did, the sand carried me down to her. She had protected herself from the blast, and was standing up, but when I got down there, she fell. her arm still had steam rising slowly from it. I wondered what hit her.

When I got to the ground, I thought it was harder than usual, looking down, I found that there was a large patch of glass made from the heat of the blast she made.

I knelt down, and rolled the sleeve up, to see how badly she was hurt. It was an awful sight, and I realized why she had long sleeved shirts and never rolled them up, even when the sun was at its highest point. On her arm were many scars and cuts. I didn't know what pain felt like, but most people looked like they didn't enjoy it. I wondered how she handled these marks. I saw some of the other kids fall, and scrape their knees or hands, but I hadn't seen something like this. Her eyes opened, but only slightly, as she whispered coarsely, "I wish you did not see that, Gaara-kun. You should not have to watch me when I do my work, nor what consequences I sometimes face." She slowly lifted her right hand to pull the sleeve back down, then, just as slowly, she stood up. Her eyes opened all the way, the full moon reflected against the black if her eyes. I didn't think anyone could survive that. It was quick, but it was also a very powerful attack. It seemed like anyone, as close as Ju-chan was, should've been burned. I was happy that she survived though.

I lifted a layer of sand to carry us over the wall, but I let go when I heard a quiet sound. It was high pitched and soft.

"What was that?" I asked Ju-chan.

Her answer was a question. "Do you want to see Monster, Gaara-kun?" Did that mean that it wasn't me she was talking to? Was it possible that she didn't know I was there?

She took my hand and lead me to a different part of the wall. With her free hand, she held it a few inches away from the wall. We walked a few yards until a small cross appeared. I hadn't seen it before, and it was like it just scratched itself out of the sandstone. When Ju-chan put her hand closer to it, I thought she was going to make a hand sign, but she didn't. I watched closely, and her hand went _through_ it. She still had my hand in hers, and I almost didn't want to go in. I thought that even though Ju-chan made it through, I might bang right into the wall. I closed my eyes a walked forward with Ju-chan's hand leading me. The hit never came.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a small cat in Ju-chan's scarf. It was hard to see, because night had fallen, and its fur was dark like her scarf, but I could see it. Looking back, it was like the wall wasn't there anymore. When I looked past her, I could see the edge of the park. Was this a genjutsu?

"Gaara-kun, meet Monster. He followed me here," she said quietly. _She was talking to the cat when I thought she called me a monster, _I thought with relief. I was happy that Ju-chan didn't think I was a monster, but now I was angry at whoever made those marks on her arm. She was nice to me, and she was nice to the cat. Who would want to hurt her?

"Why is he called Monster?" I asked.

"He was born as a ninja cat, but he is more than that. When he was a kitten, I gave him my chakra. I am not allowed to have pets, so they tried to take him away. I knew I couldn't take him on all of my missions and protect him, so I gave him my chakra so he could overpower even the ninjas…or run if he had to." I looked closely at the cat. Monster was still a kitten. Even with Ju-chan's chakra, it didn't seem like this one cat could beat a ninja, or out run a ninja. Ju-chan continued, "When I have to travel without people noticing him, he goes into this form. It has been two years since I gave him my chakra, and he has much experience." She whispered something to the kitten, then it jumped out of Ju-chan's scarf and a small smoke cloud came over it. It looked full grown in a few seconds. I didn't think it was possible.

"How did it do that?" I was starting to get more and more questions by the second.

"It is only the simple transformation jutsu, nothing great. He does it all the time." _The cat can do ninja arts? _I wondered to myself.

"When you fell over, when those people came and attacked you, were you hit with something that you arm is like that?" Ju-chan looked up from petting Monster, but quickly looked back down, again.

"No…I just tripped." I had a feeling that I wasn't going to get anything more than that as an answer. I sighed slowly. Didn't she trust me?

"Do you want Yashamaru to heal it? He's my uncle," I said.

"I know," she made a quiet sound. It was almost like a small gasp. How did she know Yashamaru was my uncle? I don't think I ever told her about him.

"How did…how did you know that?" I asked.

"Remember the first day I came here? You told me that I had just come here that day, then you asked how I could know anything about you. I know more about you than you think…much more." She sat down on a small stone, and worked on something I couldn't see. When she took her hands away, a bright little flame had sparked on the ground, but I don't know what it was burning. Following Ju-chan, I sat down cross-legged, setting my bear in my lap. When Ju-chan had started making the flame, the cat had walked away. I looked around, and saw its tail behind me. What was it doing? The cat went around me, and looked at Ju-chan. It seemed like there was something happening that I didn't understand.

"What do you mean? What do you know?" I asked. She moved a bit and uncrossed her legs, pulling her knees up to her chest. Monster went and sat close to her.

"I will tell only the simple things. There are the usual facts, about your birthday on January nineteenth. Or for instance, most children do not understand that you never sleep. I am most certain that many of them are unaware of the demon within you, and only fear you because they see their parents and siblings their elder act so. A vast majority of the generation sees only that you are powerful, and have the capability to kill. They blame minorities of the smallest nature on the ones with the most strength. This is how I think they view you, but I judge only on the looks of distaste that follow us, wherever we go," her voice got quieter every sentence. It made her sound like she was talking to herself.

"They do not understand anything. They see nothing." Her voice lost the girl sound, and became lower and darker. The air in the small tunnel we were in felt different Ju-chan put her hands to the sides of her head and moaned. Her eyes were shut tight, and then a faint string of blue light came out. It attached Ju-chan to Monster. What was the cat doing? Was it hurting her? The whole time, she made sounds that sounded like she was hurt. I wanted to help, but when I tried touched Ju-chan, I was…_something_. It didn't feel good, and I knew I couldn't touch her with my hand, but I thought maybe I could with the sand. For some reason, I thought I should try to break the string of light, with a rope of sand, I tried to cut off the light, but it moved around and wouldn't let the sand touch it.

After a minute or two, the light disappeared, and Ju-chan let her head go. She blinked and looked at Monster. She let out a sigh, and for the first time, she smiled. How could she be happy that the cat was hurting her? I didn't understand. "What happened, Ju-chan?" I asked.

"It is nothing. It gets stronger sometimes, and Monster must take its power away." _Its? What is the it? _I wondered.

"Are you sure? Maybe one of the medical ninjas can help," I said hopefully. I thought that the thing that hurt her could be healed like how Yashamaru heals people.

"No medical ninja can help me."

* * *

Yay for being done with the second chapter! Sort of bad ending though...


	3. Speaking of Demons

It took forever, but what do you expect? I rewrote this thing five times, and I'm still not completely satisfied!

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Ju's POV

"Can't anything be done?" Gaara-kun asked softly.

"You really are determined to help." He nodded, rather vigorously at that. I sighed, "If it makes you feel better, I could have your uncle see my arm." I was unsure of why he was so concerned for my injuries. Having such ailments as these was something quite usual for me. I was used to being covered in these minor injuries. I let them heal on their own.

"Let's go," he said, standing.

"Wait, now?" He held his hand out. I hesitated at first, and almost took it, but I noticed something on his other hand. It looked burned.

"Gaara-kun…you tried to touch me in that state. Why did you do that?" he glanced over at me, just as he was turning away. "Let me heal it." Gaara-kun gazed down at his injured hand. I realized that he had never been hurt before. I wondered if he knew that the sensation he must be feeling now was pain, the physical kind. He didn't answer at first. "I will forcefully do it to keep you from further harm."

"If you can heal people like my uncle," Gaara-kun asked, "why didn't you heal yourself before?"

Having him sit down, I knelt and took his burnt hand in my own; he winced at the feeling. "That is because I cure differently than other medics," _and I deserve this pain for what crimes I have committed,_ I finished in my thoughts.

A sphere of white chakra engulfed Gaara-kun's hand, and little by little the blistery wound closed. As his injury disappeared, I felt it form on my own hand; it stung worse than an ordinary burn, because it was caused by my particular demon. So he would not see what I had done, I pushed it under my palm, and forced the red blotch up. The sensation of an injury being pulled across my skin was always unpleasant. It rested on my already wounded forearm. The beast cursed me for taking another's pain _again_. _**You can't be serious, **_he said_**. You'll kill yourself trying to make up that wretched debt you don't even owe**_.

I thought calmly, _I will _always_ owe him_. There was no point for me to converse any longer with a helpless beast in a cage.

_**Foolish human**_…I heard him mutter, before silencing himself once more.

Gaara-kun did not question me when I stated I cured in another manner. I believed he still wondered about the strange new sensation that had just enveloped his hand.

"The burn is gone, but I advise against ever attempting to separate me from Monster, when I enter that state. It will do you no good," I warned him. He slowly indicated his agreement with a nod. Moments later, the questions I knew would come escaped his mouth, as we both stood.

"What makes that happen? Why did that chakra string come out? What was it, that link between you and Monster?" asked Gaara-kun curiously.

Hoping that answering, before his string of inquiries continued, would halt the flow of questions, I quickly explained what I dared, carefully measuring each word I said. "There is a power inside of me that sometimes grows too strong for me to handle. You were quite correct when you said that the 'string' was made of chakra. It is a vile chakra, consisting of every unpleasant memory and feeling I have….A second is all it takes to take control, and I do not wish for it to dominate me.

"This is why Monster must be with me as often as possible. To take any extra strength that may be stored away. I would loathe to be manipulated around you. You would not take pleasure in seeing the scene of my transformation or rather, you would not like the outcome," I said. Though, I had heard tales of the past Jinchuuriki in their final state, from those that survived the encounters. They sounded no more pleasant. Continuing, I said, "That chakra link appears whenever there is a high amount of power that must be absorbed. You asked earlier why Monster is named so. It is because he is very much a demon of miniature stature, taking in the chakra I give him." I was worried that he would no longer wish to associate with me if he discovered my truth. I supposed that I lived on keeping my life restricted from the outside world. No matter how close I was to any one person, I would never wish for them to grieve over what has happened in my past.

"Does this mean you can't heal yourself, or you just don't want to?" Gaara-kun asked suddenly. I could not help but feel…contented that another in the world cared anything of me. It was a most unusual feeling albeit a pleasant one.

"I am unable to remove the wounds from myself," I murmured, after a few seconds passed. "Though, as long as I can stand and fight on my own, I do not need to be cured." Gaara-kun had an expression on his face that I did not recognize. Being around this boy, I realized how many things I did not know about in the universe: emotion, feelings, and bonds. There was more to understand than just jutsu after jutsu. There were more important things than only the knowledge of a scroll.

"Does it hurt? Those marks?" he inquired. He pointed at the arm he had seen. I lifted it. The burn that I had obtained from Gaara-kun hurt a bit, because it was new. I could handle something that small, though. The aggravating beast in me felt my silent thoughts.

"_**What a disgrace, you are, human," **_his thundering growl spoke.

"_What do you want, Ryuu?" _I snapped.

"_**I can't believe you care for this brat. He's no different than that brother of yours. Just another joke**_," he sneered. "_**When will you learn not to trust? When will the time come when you finally understand how pointless helping is? You should have left him with that burn I gave him. He deserves it for trying to stop me. Better yet, let me do away with him. This short time you've been with that brat has made you too soft for my liking. For him, I'll make it extra long."**_

"_Just leave me alone. Gaara-kun may be nothing to you, but kind to me. If I could reach you inside my head, I would personally assassinate you for calling him a brat and daring to say that to me,"_ I thought back.

"_**But remember, we're linked: linked by pain. Anything that happens to me, happens to you–"**_

"_Yes, I know, and vice versa. You probably do not want me to take others pain, because you feel it too. I would go as far as bringing my own death if it meant I could get rid of you,"_ I said. "_After that, no other person would be stuck wit you in them."_

"_**And you haven't yet. If you would die just to get rid of me, why are you alive, if your only purpose is to bring my disposal? How long will you fight me for control of this weak container? It's only because of that shape-shifting rat that you can hold me at all**_," Ryuu snarled. I was about to answer, when I heard a soft voice outside of my mind, and immediately cut our connection. I had been subconsciously aware of it the whole time, but did not respond to it. It seemed a gentle echo from afar.

"Ju-chan, please answer, Ju-chan!" Gaara-kun kept saying my name, trying to get my attention. I blinked up at him, from behind my dark curtain of hair. Through the veil, I saw the moon glowing bright. It must have been past midnight.

Pushing my tresses away from my eyes, I said, "Forgive me, Gaara-kun. I was having a 'conversation' with that power I spoke of before." I put my arms behind my back, and gave the new sore a light blow. I felt it sting me, but I also heard the beast groan as he suffered as well. I had trained myself not to grimace at pain. "It is aggravating me terribly."

"What is it?" he asked, earning a look of confusion. "What is the power you're talking about? Is it a demon, too?" his last question was quieter than the rest. Perhaps he did not wish to mention the topic of demons. For what I was taught the mediums of Shukaku must live through, I would not think badly of him for fearing such spirits. Despite what pain my village forced upon me, it was quite helpful with its large sum of information. Slowly, but surly, I nodded. I thought he would be upset that I kept that from him, that I did not tell him the first time I met him in the park. I felt another new feeling in front of him. It was not sadness or happiness. It was something else. It was something that told me I had done something wrong, but I don't know what.

"It spoke to you, didn't it?" Gaara-kun said. "What's it saying to you?"

"If you truly want to know, it wants me to kill you," I said quietly.

"You…aren't going to try, are you?" he whispered nervously. The bear he never let go of was compressed beneath his arms. If it were alive, it would be suffocating at this point.

"I, of course, will not comply with its wishes–"

"_**Would you stop calling me that? I'm not an 'it'!" **_Ryuu roared at me. I brushed him away.

"_It _is a murderous, psychopathic demon that raves on and on about how weak I am, despite never being able to escape me." When I said this, I was not looking at Gaara-kun, rather an empty space next to me, where I imagined a perturbed Ryuu to be. I could only imagine what I looked like.

Gaara-kun must have thought this amusing in some way. "That bit of air must be really bothersome to you," he said, a grin on his face. I thought his smile was…nice, unlike that smirk of Toshihiro's, with old, rotten teeth and wrinkly, chapped lips around it.

"Ryuu is quite aggravated with me for calling him an 'it.' That is all," I said in my stoical way.

"Ryuu…is that his name?" Gaara-kun asked.

I gave him the slightest of nods. "He can be irritating himself, also," I said, "but I can make him suffer in payment for displeasing me."

"_**Yeah, you can by injuring yourself. Instead of doing that, you should let me have a go at the red-head!"**_

"Shut up!" I snarled, not realizing I had said that out loud. I only recognized the mistake I had made when Gaara-kun had become…quieter than usual, and he looked at me with wide eyes. _"I loathe having you in me…" _I growled at Ryuu.

After a moment, I whispered, "Sorry…" The single word came out slow, as I did not apologize often. I stared at the ground. I had that feeling again. What was this emotion that Gaara-kun made me experience?

"Shu-Shukaku has never made me angry enough to make me yell like that. So, maybe…you have it even worse than me, as far as…demons." Gaara-kun knew that I had not shouted at him. Of this, I was glad. He would not be angry at me. "It…he never bothered you before, so…why is he now?"

"You are standing in my presence," I muttered quietly.

"I'm what?"

"You are standing. Meaning, you are alive. He does not wish for me to be fond of anyone. He doesn't want me to care. I am meant only to be an emotionless weapon. Being fond of someone is a feeling I should be without. I told you before; he wants me to kill you." At those words, his look became lost. I wished I could help him with whatever pain he felt, however I was not skilled in comforting another person.

"So you are…fond of me?" asked Gaara-kun with the smallest of grins, cocking his head to one side. It reminded me of something, something distant in my memory. I tried to remember, but I could not.

"Yes…I suppose I am." I slowly responded, rather surprised with myself, having said it out loud. I was also discontented. The last person I thought I was fond of…he tried to murder me, or perhaps he tried to kill Ryuu through me. Either way, he attempted to bring my death, despite my final attempt to save his life.

"Can I ask something else?" Gaara-kun asked after a few moments of silence.

"I suppose you deserve answers, but I would like one in return," he waited silently for my inquiry. "I have admitted to Ryuu being inside me, telling me his wishes, hoping for your death. Does yours think the same?"

He shook his head slowly. "No…he hasn't spoken at all since you came here," he said rather matter-of-factly.

"What? He has he ceased to speak?"

"He mutters to himself, so I can't understand him a lot, but I keep hearing the word dragon. I guess now I know why." I nodded silently. I knew that other demons must know about each other, but why would Shukaku silence himself at the presence of Ryuu, or how did he even know Ryuu was here? Could one demon sense the presence of another?

"_**We sure can, and that's another reason the get rid of the shorty. I can kill the One-tails as I'm deposing of that little brat! There'll be two dead for the torment of one! In all honesty, and, yes, I can be honest, that doesn't sound like that great a deal. I like doing my work on one individual at a time, but, seeing as that raccoon is shut up in the redhead, I can't get to him."**_ I shoved him away.

"What was your question?"

"Well, I was…I just wondered if…"

"Yes?" I pressed.

"Since you said you were an assassin and…well, you sort of sound like you're supposed to…um…"

"What, Gaara-kun?"

"Did you come here to kill me?" I stared at him. Why would he think that? "I thought you had to kill the other hosts so that…you know…"

I shook my head. "I want you to know that I will never kill you, but please listen to this." Gaara-kun looked at me; waiting for whatever else I might tell him. "I want to warn you that if I think you are in real danger of me, I will leave without you knowing where. I want you to know that if I think he is too strong for Monster to control, or if I become too weak to hold him, I will tell you to run and expect you to do so without hesitation. Your sand is windblown dust compared to his full released strength.

"If ever there was a need to explain one thing, this is most important, even if there is no true understanding now. This statement will seem useless until you comprehend me, not as a person, but as _his_ medium. As of now, I am dead. I will not live until pain has been repaid." I knew he wouldn't see why I told him that last part, but soon hoped that he would take it in. I had told him this, because I realized something and felt incredibly foolish for comprehending sooner. My heartless father would never be given the privilege to live in someone as pure as Gaara-kun, but someone else of my supposed family would have been. That strange way he smiled and tilted his head, it was something they had in common. They accepted me and didn't run, even when I began to lose control of the demon. And I had told him the phrase I only spoke to _him_.

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Just so everyone knows, the entire next chapter is all one flashback.


	4. Pain

Just in case anyone didn'tread the authors note at the ned of the previous chapter, this is a flashback.

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Gen's POV

I was pushed through a series of underground tunnels to my next opponent. I wondered what the point of making a bunch of kids fight each other was. Shrugging mentally, I continued walking with two huge men on both sides of me. They were taking me to who they called my "final opponent." I guessed that meant that I was one of the two finalists of this competition. Everyone had been fairly easy to beat in these matches, so I wasn't worried.

There was light at the end of the next turn. They let go of my shoulders, leaving a slight ache because of how tight they had been grasping me.

"Good luck," one of them told me, "not that it'll do you much good against _her_." I grimaced inwardly. I was going to fight a girl?

"You'd better hope for a quick fight," the other said sternly.

The two men stood side by side, and they looked to be statues. I went the only way I could, towards the light. The tunnel led to a vast, open, wooded space. Looking around, I saw her at the top of a nearby tree, and I felt my eyes widen. What was _she_ doing here? She wasn't even old enough to be in this test. Who stuck a five-year-old in this?

"Ju, what are you doing here?" I asked, as she leapt down from her perch. She stared me in the eyes, and I saw they were different. They were…evil.

"Don't worry, dear Gen. I never fight to kill, but accidents do tend to happen," he said through Ju's lips. I took a step back. So, he had her in possession. Right then and there, I almost envisioned my own bloody death. No one of my level would survive an encounter with him. "You taught my medium many great skills," Ryuu said. "I'll just return the favor by giving you a lesson of pain."

He threw a needle that had been concealed in Ju's sleeve. I was frozen in fear of this demon, and did not dodge. It hit me, and fire raced down my arm, and ice flooded my veins. It fell limp. Yelling in pain, I managed, "What is this?" The demon chuckled.

"It's a needle bathed in my own demon's blood. I prepared it after my transformation, during that last match with some poor girl. She's gone to the medics completely unconscious, but I guarantee that she'll be in a lot of pain upon awakening." Ryuu crossed Ju's arms and smirked. I swore that if I lived, I would kill the person responsible for putting Ju in this.

I grasped the senbon needle, and yanked it out. The tip that had not gone through me was dripping a green liquid. I dropped it to the ground when I felt my fingers burn. I shouted out again. Ryuu's blood was running through my veins. I felt the pain slowly running to my legs when they gave out beneath me. Could I really have been beat by one single needle? Everything hurt. Itami no Ryuu was his full name. Only now did I fully understand and accept that. He existed only to bring pain to others, to make those around him suffer. He was the master of pain.

"Does it hurt? I hope so, but you've only begun your lesson. I'll keep you on the cusp between life and death, and you will feel everything." I was sprawled on the ground, in pain and helpless to stop him, but I promised myself to try to save Ju. Little by little, I rose up. My body protested every movement I made.

"I'm surprised. You shouldn't be able to move. Humph, perhaps you're stronger than I thought; I guess that means I have to be more forceful on you than the rest." The skin of her hands began to peel like a snake. She stood silently as it happened, her transformation. Underneath the flesh that had been torn away was nothing but black. It was like looking at a starless night by the light of a new moon. Cracks crawled up her neck as the tissue was ripped from that, too.

I watched the dark consume her body, trying to believe the fact that the monster standing before me was Ju. It sprouted wings the color of carbon, with ragged splits and shredded edges. The dark shape bent down on all fours and spread its newly formed claws of obsidian. Through the black shone two twin red orbs, like hot coals in a fire. It stretched its neck up and roared a sound that resonated through the woods, making the ground tremble.

When the dust cleared, its slick scales and spiked tail were revealed, glistening as if covered in oil. Ryuu looked down at me, from his height of over ten feet, and spittle dripped from his mouth. There was only one thing going through my mind at that moment: I am going to die. I might have been able to battle him in Ju's form, but not like this. He was untouchable and immortal, and I was vulnerable to his power.

"I am going to make your death slow…and painful. When you wish you were dead, I'll be half done playing with you," Ryuu snarled, flinging saliva from his jaws. His mouth hung open, exposing his irregularly-shaped fangs.

Through the pain I already felt, I managed, "I guess you're halfway done." I meant that, too. I felt like I was on fire, but there were no burns. My bones were scorched at the core, while the flesh surrounding them stung as if salt had been poured on me. I hated that it was one mere needle that did this to me.

My screams were hoarse, now that my voice had been worn out. Only faintly did I see the beast stride towards me, as my eyelids drooped, but I felt very clearly the pain that the tail whipped at me caused. The spikes of ebony pierced my side, just before I was flung into a tree trunk. Did Toshihiro-sama know what was happening? Did he know that Ju had been entered in his contest? How could anyone allow her to be here? Why did no help come to my aid? Before I was taken here, those guards said this was my final opponent. Maybe they weren't talking about the test; maybe they knew I was going to die.

I glanced at my side. I could see the torn flesh, but not the blood. Why didn't I bleed?

Ryuu must've known what I was thinking, because he soon after explained, "I can't have my toys passing out from lack of blood. That wouldn't be any fun, now would it? You can't bleed because my own will stop it instantly. Not only that, but it'll keep you from fainting or dying before I've had my fun. I enjoy hearing you scream; you're much more exciting than those others." I grimaced. "Others" was plural, more than one. How many had he tormented, as he did me? Ryuu pounded forwards until he was just before me. "However, I do tire of hearing the same thing over and over. Why don't you yell louder for me?" With a swipe of his claws, I did just as he asked. He took a step back, and used a claw to prick his forearm. A single drop of green blood held to it.

"Hmm," he considered, "I wonder what happens if I do this." Looking at my large and many open wounds, I knew what he was going to do. Thinking back to the beginning of this fight, or rather the beginning of my torture, the first pain that dragon's blood gave me seemed a pleasure. My limbs were limp, and I could not move. I waited with closed eyes for the next surge of pain that would happen when that emerald drop hit my skin, but it never came. I opened then a crack to see Ryuu stagger back. I couldn't believe the words I heard leave his mouth. He still had his low growl, but the way they were said was unnatural in his body.

"You are evil! What has Gen ever done to deserve this?" Without losing the angry expression, Ryuu fought with Ju, turning his head the opposite way.

"You little brat, who do you think you are, huh? I'm teaching a lesson and you aren't about to stop me. You pathetic brother is as good as dead."

"It is my body you are controlling, but I found out in here how to control you back!" Suddenly, Ryuu roared, but it was different than the last. He was in pain. He shouted like a human in pain. What did Ju do? Slowly, after a few more shrieks of pain, Ryuu shrunk down to Ju's size. It was like watching the transformation backwards. The black scales shed off, revealing the pale skin beneath. In a puff of white smoke, a regular looking Ju stood before me.

"What did you do?" Ryuu demanded in Ju's small voice.

"I made you feel pain. It distracted you while I forced my chakra into you, because you blocked it before. This connection works both ways. You can control me if you have enough chakra to overwhelm mine, but I can do the same. You knew that, did you not?"

"It's not as simple as that, foolish human girl. I will always have more chakra than you. I am a _demon_."

"You can go inside _me_ now." Ryuu gave one last growl of protest before I was sure Ju had control of herself. She took something out of her pocket. It looked like an inkwell.

I watched in horror as she dipped a needle in the substance, pulling it out to show a thick green liquid dripping from it. Once the cork was firmly in place, the tiny bottle was pocketed, and Ju strode close to me.

"What are you –" I began, but finished with a drawn out scream because of the pain that washed over me as from the needle dripped a single bead of blood. I didn't notice the strength in my arms and legs returning until I reached out and snatched the needle from Ryuu's hand. With what force I could muster, which was much more than I thought I was able, I drove it as close to the demon's heart as I could.

"You are enraged at Ryuu, so I understand that you wish to hurt him back through my bond," she said before kneeling next to me. I didn't understand. What's her bond, and if she was in control why did she put more of Ryuu's blood in me? Did she _want_ to bring me pain?

"Who are you, Ju or Ryuu?" I asked. She rose to a standing position, and turned her back to me. I heard her pull the needle out, before I saw the slightest of glows.

"I am Ju. Will you allow me to heal you wounds, brother?" she asked quietly.

"And allow you to give me even more pain? No, thank you!"

"Then you will die from loss of blood. I have already taken Ryuu's blood from your body. You will bleed and die in minutes if not less time." I looked down; she was right. My sides and chest were draining more blood by the second. When was Ryuu's blood extracted? I started getting my strength back after she put more demon blood in me. Did Ju…cure me? When she tuned back, I saw through the small tear in her carbon shirt that there was no puncture wound. That glow must've been from her healing herself. Though she forced me to allow her to cure me, I never once saw her repair her own wounds.

"You have heard what will happen if you do not let me heal you. I will forcefully do it to keep you from further harm." It was the real Ju this time, of that I was certain. She always said that to me, even as my younger sister, while I was five years her elder. "You will soon feel the pain of your wounds. I must heal them before my serum wears off. I cannot have you in more pain than you must have already been in." She put her hand up. I didn't want here close to me, though. She could be won over in a split second. I was still lying on my back, with my head propped up by a broken stump, but my arms could move. I quickly snatched a kunai from the pouch that was miraculously still attached to my waist.

"Stay away!" I shouted, whipping the kunai from my fist. She didn't dodge, but my aim was off from the ground. The kunai nicked her arm, a thin streak of blood trailing behind it. She complied, stepping back.

"You want to die in pain, then?" Ju requested. I hated the innocent look she wore when asking that question, but slowly felt the pain return. When did it stop?

I was angry that she seemed to take this situation so lightly. The Ju I knew, or thought I knew, would at least pretend to care her older sibling was on his deathbed. Since she didn't insist on repairing my injuries like the real Ju would, I knew it was Ryuu. Pulling another kunai through the growing pain, I hurled another knife, and this time my aim was true. It hit Ryuu's heart, right where I wanted. If Ju couldn't control him, then she might have a better life in her afterlife. I would meet her soon anyway.

"You do not understand, do you?" she spoke. Lifting a hand, she pulled the knife from her chest, and dropped it to the ground. Moving a bloody hand in front of the stab wound, she brought the hand down in a swift swishing motion. The hole was gone. What just happened? Medics can't heal that fast. "I cannot die by means of small cuts like that. If you truly wish to kill me, you must cover every inch of my body in burns, cuts, bruises, scrapes and other such wounds, so that the blow that takes my heart will have nowhere to go. Until then, I will never be murdered by such a pathetic attempt to bring my death."

"What do you mean, 'Nowhere to go,'?" I asked. Speaking became hard, but I wanted answers before I died. I knew I surly would.

"Remember this?" she asked, pulling up a sleeve, revealing a large bruise. "I got this when you fell, while practicing walking up trees. Or this," she lifted her pant leg. There was a gory wrap that was filthy and tied terribly around her calf. "I took this gash when you came back from a mission injured. I have been trying to keep you away from the pain," she looked pitifully at me, slouched on the ground, "but I failed." Rolling up the opposite left sleeve, two bloody slashes were viewed on Ju's forearm. "And this is where your murder attempts have drifted."

I had choked up a lot of blood, but managed to say, "But if you heal me, then won't my injuries appear on you? Why would you do that? You would kill yourself!" she shook her head. My vision was failing. A haze of gray overcame my sight before it returned, if a bit fuzzy, after a few moments.

"I have blood. While I have Ryuu's blood coursing through my veins, I will never die." I realized how right she was about that, but feared what pain she would have to be in for me. What I pain I felt minutes before, would be constant for her until she healed or was brought to the medics, but I remembered that she never wanted to go there. She wouldn't allow anyone to help her. Why didn't she? She didn't deserve to suffer! I tried to recall all of the injuries she healed of me. How could she pretend so convincingly that she was fine? Numerous times we were spared expensive medical payments, because she healed me. Why did _she_ have to suffer for _my_ clumsiness?

I realized that I had to stop her. I didn't want her help. If only I hadn't been so blind to the obvious! Why would she even think of putting herself through that pain for me? I couldn't understand it. _Why did you do this, Ju, my sister? What force pushed you to think you deserved so much pain?_ I knew she couldn't bring the dead back, so I decided that I would fight to my dying breath, knowing that if I didn't let her near me, she would be unable to take my pain and live in a bit less agony. I hoped she would understand why I accepted death instead of letting her take my pain. She wouldn't have to take care of me anymore, and she'd be free of me.

I muttered a jutsu beneath my breath and took as deep a lungful of air I could. A second later, flames erupted from my mouth, and I saw Ju dodge easily up to a near by branch. I heard her say something. I think she was yelling, but I didn't understand. Her words weren't making sense, so I flung more kunai knives. The chunks of metal hit something dark, or I thought it was dark. Everything was dark. I was having another one of those gray haze things on my eyes. When my sight returned, I noticed how close Ju was, but then she was gone again. I looked behind only to see bleeding eyes gaze back. They were red and upset. My own didn't sting. She had taken the blind effect to her own eyes. I didn't remember getting hit in the eyes, but I couldn't recall much of anything right now.

"Do not worry for my sight, brother. Please worry only about who you will go to. It is too late for me to do anything for you anymore." Something hard hit me, and after a second I realized it was the ground. I had collapsed, and in a few moments, I would find a new home, in another body. I would die.

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You know, a few reviews might help me write faster. It would help...just review, please!


	5. Two Demons

Gaara's POV

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"What is your definition of dead, Gaara-kun?" she asked. I thought dead was just the opposite of life: lifeless. Wasn't it that simple? What else might it mean? "When is a person dead?" I was trying to think of another answer. Ju-chan was clearly alive, but she said just now that she wasn't. There had to be another meaning. Dead…hmm…dead was only dead. There wasn't another answer, was there? What made Ju-chan think that…how did she…I had to think like Ju-chan. She seemed to think more like a grownup than a kid. I was only a kid, too, but if she could do it, I knew I could.

Dead was…well, when you're dead, you've obviously died, and after that, you…I don't know, aren't living! "What do you think it is?"

"I cannot explain every answer. Try to discover what I am," she told me. I wondered what was going on in her mind right now; why would she say she was… It's quite plain to see that she's alive. She continued, "Yashamaru and your family might be worried about you. W…You should probably go. It will give you time to ponder as to what my meaning is."

We both just stood there a moment, before I asked, "Are you going to come?"

She said, "I will go if your kin will accept me."

"Of course they will," I encouraged. "Yashamaru will be happy I found a friend!"

"Then, I will follow you." I smiled widely and started running toward the park. It was dark out, but the moon gave enough light. "Wait, you will collide with the barrier!" I stopped just in time. Putting a hand in front of me, I discovered that she was right. I couldn't see it, though, and it was like touching solid air. She walked over, and put a small hand up to it. The wall disappeared, and my fingers lost the connection.

"Let's go!" I said excitedly. Yashamaru would definitely like Ju-chan. Even through my excitement, that one phrase still nagged at my mind. How could she say that and so relaxed?

XxX*XxX

We walked down the quiet empty roads, not kicking up the smallest amounts of sand or making any sound. My bear was still wrapped in my arms. I never let go of it. I wondered what time it was. Maybe everyone was still sleeping; we were in that little tunnel a long time.

"**No! He did it!" **I flinched at Shukaku's sudden outburst. Why did he suddenly scream like that? Ju-chan's demon…Ryuu I think, must've said something too, because she stopped walking at almost the exact same time I did.

"_**Hah, yes, let my torment begin!"**_ It was a different voice, much lower than Shukaku's. Who did that belong to, and more importantly, why was it in my _head_?

"What happened, Ryuu? Who _is_ that? How did they penetrate my connection?" Ju-chan's voice rang through my head. How did she –? "Explain Ryuu!" I looked to my left to see Ju-chan looking angry; her eyes were directed at the ground. Did she know that I could hear her?

"Who is that, Shukaku?" I asked my demon.

"**Those other voices are your stupid friend and her bloody demon! That pesky oversized lizard kept trying to connect with you so he could tick me off!" **Shukaku screeched.

I heard a sarcastic 'pfft' sound from Ryuu. _**"I'm **__**not the bloody one between the two of us. If anything, **_**you**_** should be considered bloody, always squishing people and animals. I, on the other hand, have no taste in blood. If my toys bleed, then they die. I don't like dead toys; they're boring,"**_ I heard the dragon drone.

"**You're just too weak in the stomach to handle blood!**" Shukaku said.

Ryuu quickly retorted, _**"No, you're too much of a sissy to deal with the piercing screams of pain ringing in your ears. You'd probably faint if you saw me at work. That's why you kill them quick, so you don't have to hear the screams, at least not the **_**real**_** screams."**_

Ju-chan suddenly broke up their small argument. "Ryuu, what is Shukaku doing here? I knew you could sense him, but you didn't tell me you could do this!" she snarled. Apparently, Ju-chan could show a lot more emotion inside her head than out. Still gazing at her, I realized that she was paying just as little attention to what was going on around us as I was. She stared blankly at the sand around her feet. I closed my eyes as I usually did when Shukaku talked to me. It felt too weird to be looking at air, and it was even weirder if someone came next to me and I ended up giving the glare that was meant to be Shukaku's to them.

"_**Nope, he's still in the redheaded brat, but I can talk to him…and make him suffer by my mere presence! Hah, take that, you fat raccoon! You thought you could escape me by getting yourself sealed, but no; I'm still here, and you're gonna pay for that last guerrilla attack on me! Thought you could blame it on the tortoise, but anyone can recognize your weak attacks."**_

"**That wasn't on purpose, and I'm more than ready to fight!" **Shukaku snapped. What was this turning into? How did Ryuu even get into my head in the first place?

"_**Is that so?"**_ Ryuu asked. _**"Well then, why don't I go take a visit to your barren desert, so we can have a little fight to make up for lost time?"**_ Take a trip, he said? He can enter Shukaku's desert? He can't do that! Just to make sure, I let myself be pulled further into my thoughts. My desert faded into view, and it seemed normal. I looked around from where I stood, and only saw Shukaku sitting in his normal position, until I turned around.

"Ju-chan, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.

"I will not leave you unless he is capable of hurting you. This is the place where our demons exist. They cannot harm the land around them if they fight, but we could be. They can do whatever they want, here." Slowly, I nodded. If Ju-chan was here, then her Ryuu must be here too. I looked past her, and couldn't believe how I ever could have missed it. It was like the demon just appeared from nowhere. There was a huge dragon standing behind her. It was horrible. How could Ju-chan live with _that_ in her?

It was all pure black, and its scales were like extra big kunai knives. They were sharp looking and had a shine to them like metal. It has a neck that let its horned head reach up to Shukaku's height, the same black scales coating his awful face. A forked tongue hung out one side, dripping slightly green spit, through a lot of crooked, nasty, yellowing incisors and fangs. Both sides of his jaw were lined with black spikes, ones closer to the neck webbed. Following his neck down, I saw his enormous forearms; they had four long spikes on each one, too. What didn't have spikes on him? The claws were shiny and oily looking, like the ones on his tail. I noticed it whipping through the air, as he eyed Shukaku, his opponent. Looking up, back to his eyes, they were the only things that weren't black on him. They were reddish-orange, like a fire.

"That…That's Ryuu?" I breathed, almost falling over because of how high up I had to look to see him. He was in no way smaller than Shukaku, but, even though they were both frightening, he looked so much more like a torment machine. "How can you live with that?" I asked, not realizing that I had asked it out loud.

She said lowly, "I manage." Shukaku was scary, and he could do as much damage to the land as any demon could, but Ryuu was just more…terrifying. And his voice was scarier with its sort of low growling sound. Shukaku's voice could at least be copied by a human if they tried; Ryuu's couldn't.

"_**Oh yeah, let's get this party started!" **_Ryuu stretched his neck up and roared, and even though there wasn't anything to echo off of, it resonated. At the same time, black and dark red flames were blasted from his mouth. It went up past where the sky was, if there was a sky. This was inside my head, after all. I covered my ears as it continued to resonate loudly; there were even a few ripples in the sand coming outward from where Ryuu stood.

Shukaku sighed, **"You still do that. Do you **_**have**_** to make all of your fights known? Can't keep quiet, can you?"**

"_**You're one you talk, coon-boy. By searching a few memories, I see you've nearly deafened the little boy there." **_Ryuu turned his gaze down to me. I didn't like it much. It scared me how he looked angry at me, but I guessed that that was what he always looked like. _**"He's lucky to be able to hear at all, the way you scream at him, but, then again, you always were noisy. Even Kyuubi himself thought so, and he can be pretty loudmouthed."**_ He searched my memories? What else could he do to other peoples' minds? Ryuu continued, _**"Anyway, you wanna keep talking, or you wanna get you butt kicked?"**_

"**You're just another little lizard that hides in my sand. Come on," **Shukaku coaxed. Suddenly, something pushed me over. Whatever hit me wasn't blocked, but my fall was cushioned by the sand. I tried to sit up, but found I couldn't. Blinking, I looked down to see Ju-chan on top of me.

"The saliva is not as bad as his blood," she said, "but I would rather not see either used on you." she stood up, and pointed where I had been standing. There was a puddle of stuff there, hissing and bubbling. It sank into the ground, leaving a gap in the sand, though it was quickly filled in by the surrounding grains.

"_**Ow! What was that for? Are you on my side or the rat's?" **_I heard Ryuu boom.

"Dumb beast, it was your own fault. You had to go slobbering all over we who are beneath you." Ju-chan was glaring up at Ryuu, who in turn was glowering down. What just happened? "If you were more careful, you would not have let your spittle almost drip on Gaara-kun and you would not be in pain."

"_**You let it nick you on purpose, didn't you?" **_Ryuu growled, sending shivers down my spine. He somehow made his voice even scarier.

"It may be possible, or it could have been an accident." What were they talking about? Nothing hit Ju-chan. She pushed me out of the way, and fell at the same time as me. If it missed me, then the spit should've missed hitting her, too. I wondered what they meant, but Shukaku broke through my thoughts.

"**Enough of this; stop procrastinating, Lizard! I want to get on with our fight and make a kill. It's been a while since Gaara killed anyone worth my while."**

"_**There won't be any killing today, Coon-boy; only torture."**_

Who do you want to win, and what do you want to see in the fight? Any and every comment will have some impact on the next chapter.


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